Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Welcome Naima Simone!

I'm so excited to welcome
Naima Simone to the blog. Naima is one of the loveliest young ladies I've ever
known. Anyone in her presence more than a minute will immediately feel better.
She brings joy.

And Naima also write fabulous romance. Not only does she write deliciously
steamy romance for Elora's Cave, she got a new romantic suspense series from
Entangle Publishing. I was fortunate enough to read an ARC of Secrets
and Sins: Gabriel, which released last week. What a fabulous,
emotional, and suspenseful story! I was thrilled to give a quote for it. And
what about the cover? Oh my!

So please give a very warm welcome to one of my favorite people, Naima Simone!

Thou Shalt Not…

Thank you so much, Christy, for letting me visit with you and your
readers today! I’m so excited as you are one of my absolute favorite romantic
suspense authors. You’re right up there with Ella Grace! :-D

So as the granddaughter and daughter of pastors—does that make me a PK²
?—I spent a looot of time in church while growing up. And most of it was spent
trying to avoid my mother’s “Death Stare” beamed from the choir stand all the
way to the back of the church where I sat. The woman possessed a sixth sense
when it came to my whispering, note-passing shenanigans! She was downright
scary. Because I was young, much of the messages went totally over my head…except
when Grandpop or Daddy started talking about “the bad stuff” people did.

Sin.

A hush would fall over the church...well aside from the low, knowing
murmurings of “Mmhmm” and “Say it, Pastor”. The sudden quiet, whispering and
sidelong glances clued me in that whatever Grandpop and Daddy were talking
about, it was goooood. Cain did what to his brother? So what exactly did David
do with Bathsheba? Solomon had how many wives??

Sin.

If someone dropped it in a room full of people, all the chatter would
probably die down so everyone could try and catch the titillating details of
who did the deed, just how sinful it was and if they were caught. The word
causes a shudder to ripple down people’s spines. Stirs images of lascivious
activity in their imaginations. Clenches their stomachs in anxiety or fear. It’s
a lovely, terrible, delicious word…

We have a tendency to create a hierarchy of sin. Adultery is not as
heinous as murder. Lying isn’t as terrible as stealing. But sin doesn’t occur
in a vacuum. It always affects others. It spills over, tainting, altering…even
killing…

In my new romantic suspense Secrets and Sins: Gabriel released from
Entangled Publishing, Gabriel Devlin and his three best friends became
guardians of a dark secret because of a terrible sin. This transgression changed
their lives, altered who they once were to the men they matured into. After
receiving an anonymous letter, Leah Bannon, a private investigator and Gabriel’s
friend, decides to open the cold case revolving around the disappearance of her
uncle. Now, in spite of his growing—and resented—attraction toward her, Gabriel
has to keep her from discovering the truth and protecting a pact made decades
earlier.

Are you tempted yet? How about this? On top of the big giveaway at the
end of the tour, I’m also offering up a separate $10 Amazon Gift Card for this
stop! Just leave a comment naming one of the 7 Deadly Sins and your email
address, and I’ll randomly choose a winner.

Also, don’t forget through July 24th you have a chance to
enter a giveaway for a $30 Amazon Gift Card and a “Boston Strong” swag pack!
Just go HERE to enter the Rafflecopter on the HOME page!

Secrets and Sins: Gabriel

“Emotional, suspenseful, and
sexy, with wonderful characters…”—Christy Reece, New York Times Bestselling
Author

Twenty years ago, Leah Bannon’s beloved Uncle Richard vanished without a trace. Leah, now a private investigator, begins to suspect it was murder. When she reopens the cold case, Gabriel Devlin—-the man she loves but can never have—-inexplicably stands in her way.

Only
four people know the truth about Richard’s mysterious disappearance—-Gabriel
and three childhood friends...who have all sworn to take that secret to the
grave. But a hidden enemy wants those shocking secrets brought to light...even
if he has to kill to make it happen.

After
experiencing an unimaginable loss two years ago, Gabriel refuses to put himself
through the pain of loving someone who could be gone in an instant. But as he
thwarts Leah’s investigation at every turn—-both to keep his friends’ pact, and
to keep her safe from danger—-the sexy PI makes it impossible for him to
protect his secrets. Or his heart...

Naima Simone is a multi-published author in contemporary and erotic
romance. She’s a member of RWA’s Southern Magic chapter, mother of the Dynamic
Duo, lover of everything Vin Diesel and wife to the fabulous husband who
tolerates this affair. Come visit Naima on her website, Facebook, Twitterand Goodreads.

Hi, Laurie!Oooh...envy. And it's a good one, too. Well, as good as sin can be, I guess. Hee-hee! But envy is such an awesome--and as awful as it is to say, relatable--motivation for villains to commit all manners of crimes and well, sins. My favorite scenario that comes to mind is the movie "Single White Female" where the heroine's roommate emulates her haircut, style and life because she envies and desires it. Good one, Laurie!

Hi, Lisa!I have to tell you, this welcome has been wonderful!! Thank you!! I hope you enjoy, "Gabriel"! :-D Let me know if you like it! And if you don't, just add a "Bless your heart" on Goodreads. LOL!!

I am too, Diana! Romantic suspense is one of my absolute favorite genres. It's why I love Christy's books so much. It's the twists and unexpected surprises and "Oh wow! I didn't catch that!" moments that make this genre so awesome!

Hi, Pat!Sigh. I knoooow. Those eyes. They were one of the first things I noticed--and loved!--about this cover. Well, that and how much he looks like Stephen Amell from "Arrow". Hee-hee! Which I'm very happy about. I hope you enjoy "Gabriel", Pat! And thank you for coming by and commenting!

Lust! One of my favorites! LOL!! True, Tara, so true. I do have moments of that particular sin in the book. Guilty! Hee-hee!

This is the first book in the Secrets and Sins series. There will be three more books, each about the other friends. "Malachim" is set for release in November. I'm working on "Raphael" now. Sigh. So little time, so many lust-worthy, brooding, wonderful men. LOL!

Thank you for coming by and sharing a sin with me, Tara! And thank you for your interest in the book!

What a great post! I totally love the idea for this whole series. And Gabriel is just Yummy! One the cover and between the pages. hehehe I know I can't win, but I wanna play! lolHow about greed? Ooo, greed and the love of money.

Hi, Jessica! Oh yes, greed! A time-tested sin and always a good motivation for crime, murder and debauchery! I know, I know. I shouldn't take so much pleasure in the thought of that. LOL! And greed covers so much. Greed of money, like you said. Greed for status, power and fame. I've read so many good books where greed plays a sinful (hah! Great play on words, right? Hee-hee!) factor.

Hi, Elke!Love your name! Yes, "Gabriel" should be available to you! I hope you enjoy it, and thank you for the well wishes for the series!

You and Jessica think alike! I totally agree. Greed is the basis for many crimes. This hunger that surpasses need for more and more. It can drive people to do heinous things. I think the cool and believable thing about using one of the 7 Deadly Sins as character motivations is people can relate to the feel or emotion...or sin. *wicked grin*

Thanks again, Elke, for coming by and joining in the conversation! I'm having a ball!

Hey, Marijane!Having Christy read "Gabriel" and bless me with a cover quote was one of the highlights of my career. And not just saying that to flatter her, either. It was my very first cover quote, and Christy was so gracious about fitting me into her super busy schedule to read the book. I was overjoyed when she liked it. Like a kid on Christmas who just found her most desired gift under the tree! Or Vin Diesel... LOL! I was like, "For real? For real, Christy?" LOL!

I haven't read a book with gluttony as the basis--I don't think, anyway--but, oh wow, do you know what immediately comes to my mind? The move Seven with Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey. For gluttony, Kevin Spacey force fed that guy until his stomach burst--literally. Eeeww! LOL! It was so gross it's branded in my mind.

Thank you so much for joining in and leaving a comment, Marijane! And thank you for the welcome! I'm not surprised someone as sweet as Christy has such amazing people visiting her blog!

LOL! Too true, Aidee! Too true! I didn't think of gluttony in terms of reading, but you are so right. And in that case I think there's a lot of us *hand shooting up* who are guilty of this sin! LOL! You should see my TBR pile on my Kindle. It looks like an ebook hoard! *snort* Speaking of that, I saw an actual book hoard on the A&E show "Hoarders"! My husband turned up his lips and shot me a look while we were watching it. I told him, "Aw shaddup!" LOL!

Thank you for coming by, Aidee! You're awesome!! And umm, I'm JEALOUS of the shoes in your profile pic! Snicker. Look at me committing one of those sins!

OMG! The Secrets and Sins: Gabriel sounds so good!! I'll be adding this to my TBR for sure.

I think I suffer from book GLUTTONY. I don't think there's such a think as too many books, or too much chocolate for that matter :) I might have GREED too because I want lots of $$ to buy books, shoes and makeup!

Hi, Alison!You said it, sister! You're a woman after my own heart! LOL! Books, shoes and chocolate! I'm convinced you can never have too much of those things. And Vin Diesel, too. Can never, EVER have too much of him. Hee-hee!

Thank you so much for coming by and joining the conversation, Alison. I hope you enjoy "Gabriel"!

Hey, Angela!I love romantic suspense, too, Angela! Ever since Encyclopedia Brown (which I would so read even today if I could find the books!) to Lisa Gardner to Christy's books. And Ella Grace, of course! :-D I especially love when strings that seem totally random end up connected somehow. Those are the best!

I'm right up there with you as far as lust. Considering I also write for Ellora's Cave, it'd better be a favorite! LOL!

Hi, Crystal!I would be totally hypocritical if I didn't agree with you. LOL! One or my favorite channels is ID Discovery, and the shows I watch, like Happily Never After, Deadly Women, Deadly Affairs, are almost always about crimes motivated by lust. Love those shows!

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy "Gabriel"! There are a few deadly sins in the book!